Do the schools push our children too hard?

Question

I think the school system for our kids is getting rediculous. My son is in 3rd grade learning algebra material already! They cram schoolwork down his throat so much he is overwhelmed! He is starting to hate school already! The schools overdiagnose these kids as having "ADHD" so much now. You begin to wonder if it's just the pressure on the kids and teachers. In the state that I am from, Texas, they have TAKS testing. If the kids don't do well, they get on the teachers. The teachers are so pressured which in turn makes it difficult for the kids. They have no teachers aides and the ratio is 23 kids to one teacher! How is my kid to learn? I think our society should start looking more into the elementary and middle schools for our kids. There are too many kids on meds for ADHD these days. Our schools need to slow down a little. What is your opinion?

Answer 1

I don't think that slowing down is the answer, but letting off the pressure is. I am a Texas teacher and have felt the pressure to have ALL my students pass a test. I do believe that the medicating of the ADHD (which schools cannot legally diagnose, only doctors can) is not the answer for the kids, but differetiating instruction often enough to keep their attention is.

For the past 3 years I taught at a school with low economic status, actually the poorest in our county, and a large majority of the students enrolled were native Spanish speakers. I had students that enrolled in our school as late as January from Mexico and they had to take the Reading TAKS test in English. A miracle to pass! I think that there is too much pressure on both the students and the teachers on this stupid test. I have argued that the TAKS is not the answer, but I can't think of a better way to ensure that students are performing on grade level across a large population. Before the exit level tests were instated students were graduating without basic skills. How? I don't know how the teachers passed them on, but I do speculate that they were behavior problems and they were glad to get rid of them. (The behavior was probably a reaction to not understanding the content.)

As for your son, help him as much as you can without adding to the pressure. Ensure him that he can do the work. Believe in him and let him know you also understand the difficulty of the school work. Speak with his teacher and get on the same team. Nothing is more detrimental to your son's education than you guys being on different teams. When the teacher backs you up at school, and you back her up at home, he has no choice than to perform up to the expectations! Good luck!

Answer 2

Mr. Z is right. I was going down the road to be a teacher the past 2 years. It is getting rediculous. I'm back at my old job now back where things are somewhat normal. I can see how it is affecting the new employees that are coming from that mess we call high school. They all come in with that public school mentality and it is no wonder they don't do well on the job. These kids are coming out going from job to job cause they don't know how to get by on the work force. Very few have motivation to do good work and no desire to learn and advance within the company. We have 25 y/o and 30 y/o who act like they are in junior high still.

Answer 3

I'm an elementary teacher in NC and I couldn't agree with you more. While I think with regards to behavior that students aren't being pushed hard enough, I do think the curriculum keeps getting harder and harder. Third graders are expected to learn quite a bit in math, and the concepts keep getting pushed down to lower grade levels. Even though I only taught math one year, I found it extremely difficult to cover all the material effectively. I felt like we went entirely too fast and that we didn't have a choice but to keep moving forward while leaving some students behind. It was stressful to say the least. I hate to say this, but I'm glad to hear that your schools in Texas don't have assistants either. When I was in the 3rd grade we had a full time assistant. This year we have had to split our assistant among 8, count 'em EIGHT teachers. After enough complaining, we're finally getting one assistant to share among our grade level. I'll finally be able to use an assistant with the students in the classroom for more than 15 minutes!
The ADHD issue is a tricky one to me. I am not convinced that it's a neurological issue. I have seen too many environmental factors that could very well contribute to ADHD in students to rule them out. I have, however, seen ADHD medicine work effectively on a handful of students. With others, it's just a way to control them. I'm torn.

Answer 4

There's the pressure in other states too. I'm often in the classroom as a volunteer and over the past few years, have heard different teachers tell the students that "this is how they want you to answer" that test question.

I'm predicting that in about five to ten years, the rate of eating disorders will soar because of the pressure to test high. These kids are not learning to learn; they are learning to take tests. Blame it on the NKLB Act that President Bush has been pushing.

IMO, if the money that's being spent on testing and being spent on voucher programs can be channelled back into the public school program, students will be able to learn in a more relaxed atmosphere and will actually learn more important skills, such as being able to analyze facts.

I also believe that music programs need to be preserved.

Answer 5

I think most schools are doing a pretty good job and not pushing the kid to the extreme. But you do bring up one VERY valid point: the issue of homework. This has gotten out of hand; why? Because the parents and the state the the administrators DEMAND it.

I can tell you from experience, at least in the inner city, it is hard enough to get the kids to do their work in class, let alone do any homework. And with homework, most kids cheat or copy each others. Or they do it in other classes while the other teachers try to teach lessons, instead of listening like they should be doing.

I have studied this question thoroughly throughout my 30 year public school career, and I have come to the conclusion that homework, except for math, is nothing but busy work, and is only done by about 10% of the students legitimately. And you can't teach anything new with homework at all; as so many don't bother todo it anyway. And if you give them low grades for NOT doing these assignements, then the PARENTS come down on you hard, and want you fired. It's a no win situation for the teacher.

Kids should be allowed to be kids. They are not machines. Nobody is paying them. If the parent wants extra work at home, then let them give it to them; don't put it on the teacher! I truly believe most parents demand homework as an excuse to get the kids out of their own hair for awhile, instead of parenting like they should be doing.

And all the "tests" that kids are taking were mostly created by college professors! So now kids must learn all about celll osmosis, kidney function, DNA and RNA processes, but they don't know a single thing about what the major organs of the body are, or what kind of plants and animals are on the Earth! All the things that kids are really interested in have been stripped away by these tests. And consider this; read this carefully: THE TESTS DETERMINE THE CURRICULUM, and the tests are WRONG. Not everyone is going to be going to Harvard! We are depriving our kids of BASIC knowledge, at a time when that is all they are capable of learning. And that is a MAJOR PITFALL of these new tests being used now a days. It's called "unintended consequences". Created by professors, for teenage kids for whom they have no idea of their interests or needs.

Teaching is getting to be a very bad job to be in, and when I ask my students what they want to be when they get older, (hs students), less than 1% will answer teachers! And they all say the same reason....they wouldn't put up with these bratty, nasty, disrespectful kids....kids who were raised (or not raised) by their parents not the teachers.

Think twice before going into teaching now a days; it's not like it used to be anymore.

And I can tell you with all honesty, most, if not all, teachers disagree with all this testing. Teachers are ignored and never asked their opinion about anything. Unfortunately, teachers don't have any say in this anymore. All the "teachr" power that made schools so good has been stripped away from the teachers by the politicians, newspapers, badmouthing parents, you name it. I warn you now, and you should listen, if this continues, you're not going to be able to find anyone who wants to teach anymore.

Answer 6

The Education System is the USA has adopted interesting policies for the best reasons in the world - they want the kids to learn. I know, I have taught there. But instead of giving more resources - smaller classes and stuff, the teachers are under pressure to make the kids perform in EOG tests or wahteever, as they see this as a measure of success. This is why the kids get more homework than is reasonable, and it often has moreto do with being busy than with actually learning anything.
Teachers in the USA are wonderful, they love their kids but they are under a lot of pressure to get those results. I just have one question. Why do kids have to be measured every year?

Answer 7

I'm a Texas teacher. The pressure on teachers for kids to perform for the TAKS test is ridiculous. And you know, just like anywhere else, "**** rolls downhill." There have been many faculty meetings I have been in where more than one very good teacher has gone away crying. ALL the kids in your class are expected to ace that exam and all the little benchmarks that come up no matter who is in his/her class. If you have children who can't sit still and concentrate, kids with low IQs, any number of disabilities, trouble at home--no one wants to hear any excuses just get them to pass the exam. At my school we tutor after school and on Saturdays as well. It's insane.

Answer 8

Come to Poland and you'll be able to compare the level and everything else. It is visible at the universities. People from here are given scholarships abroad, to study at the post-graduaded level, they go and see that they have to work on a level comparable to the first year of A-studies here... Rissiculous...
And - sometimes a teacher has to take care of 30-35 students in the class - especially in good schools!
The most important period for a studying child are those first years at school... The more he learns, the better.,..

Answer 9

You are the parent and you know your child.

You need to protect your child.
There is nothing more precious that the love of learning.

Fun, creativity, happiness and joy will be squashed if the spirit is in pain.

There needs to be a balance - The best school is Waldorf where the children learn at their own pace 95% of their kids go to the University on scholarships.

Listen to your child.

Answer 10

No, American schools do not push too hard!

American parents, for the most part, do not engage their children into the creative learning at an early age.

Hours of computer games, no books, library, poorly done or not done homework, no discipline, no music lessons, ballet, art, tennis.

Girls are given Barbie dolls, nothing mentally creative like Blocks, tinker toy, Lego, or what ever that supports perception, mental creativity.

Plenty of time to play basket ball, football, cheer leader.

It is no wonder that reading comprehension, at the university level is out the windows. And it is the responsible adults fault.